Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-04
CHARLES DICKENS, JR.

CHARLES DICKENS, JR.
Americans Receive Him Cordially for Hi
Fathers sake.
Editor of the Gazette.
Charles Dickens, Jr., is testing the eff
cacy Of "What's in q nsme," by making s
tour Of our country, and enjoying oul
hospitality as his fAther did before him
He finds that the name OF the original
Dickens has not lost it's magnetism, but
still draws and that he, as his eldest son,
is receiving welcome from the American
people for his fathers sake.
Charles is repeating his fathers read
ings and, although, not attempting to
tmitste the inimitsble "Boz," h. is
using q marked edition, and hopes to
achieve the reuown by his modulated
voice, ready wit, graceful demeanor and
forcibie after-dinner speeches that his
father won by being living personation
OF the characters he presented. Ia how
far he will succerd, few days viii tell
Charles Dickens, Jr has made no mark
OF note in the literary world except SIS he
| has been editor of the weekly magszjne,
All the Year RDund, Household Words,
and having compiled hsnd-books
OF the Thames and of London. But he is
liViEg example, pointed out by our
fsWniDg critics, of "what might
have been" had not the misfortune
been his o. being overshadowed by mis-
tatner's fame. a sad fact TO many q
genius(O
Oniy few Of the most eventful periods
OF mis- life are given US. H. was born in
1887, in FarnivaPs Ipn., and was nick
named by his father first, "The Brigsud.n
end later, "Flester Flobby;" which NAV
be corruption of Master Toby. AS his
birth occurred on q Twelfth Night.
1t was ever after kept as double tes-
tivity, celebrated with d very big cake
snd play, and it is on record that on his
seventh birthday the Baroness Burdett-
Coutts sent him magnificent cake weigh.
/ 6 ninety pounds and gOrgeously deco
rated This is ell that is given Of his earIy
youth or of his wonderful precocftv. He
seems to have had sufficient mental vigor
TO complete q college course, but his
literary fame not emitting much light, he
WAs set apart tor a mercantile career, ana |
was sent to Germany to gain |
commercial knowledge and expe-
rience, of which he stood sadly in need, |
r Returning later to England, at the age of
tWenty-three he went to China to buy tea. |
intending to start in that business in |
London, bu he seems to have bsen def. |
cient IN continuous energy, for his father
writes in 1862: "My oldest bow is in
business as an eastern merchant in the |
city (LondoD) and will do well if he can
find continuous energy, otherwise ne will
not" He evidently did not find the en-
ergy as the business career was soon
abandoned and we find him with his
father on Gan the Year Round"
When the unfortunate arrangement
between his father and mother was made
public and sseparation ensued, the youth
decided to stay with his mother,
4 choice which won him the respect OF
every one who knew the sad story. His
father hOnored him for this choice, and il
after years "opened bis heart and home
TO his eldest son and treated him as his
heir"
In this vast and noted literary expert
7nce cur critics fiud ample scope to aud
llm TO the skies as a literary artist, and
ne feels fully qualified at the age of fifty
10 come to our shores and to discourse,
lpon our literary abilities AID weakness
20. He tells Us "we are tired Of the
style of writer's Of the Ho wells
md James school, "0ut adds that the great
EST fault in our writer's is the want of
originality. He informs US of the known
act that Mr.. Haggard had
for "S1e" in "Kalloolsh,"
7ears ago, but created very little STIR, and
hat Mr.. Haggard and Stevenson owe 4:
heir great success not to any literary
.hility or merit, but to being fortunate in
heir opportunities, that they have only
lit upon the tide that leads to fortune.
de tells US further that the writings that
would be admirably fitted for the AmeTi- {
IAN public would hardly suit the English
'aste, but thst Eaglis1 writer's are very i
successful in pleasing American readers
We are not inf rmed as to the cause for
his state OF affsirs, whether it is that the
SogAshman with IS earthly frame cannot
Use to the level on which our literature s
'ests or whether his bulk forbids the
stopping to pick it up. We suppose it is ,
ne former. Charles is complimentary in .
lis statement that the newspaper litere-
IRE In the Uaited States is very fiue con-
1derlng the haste with which everything
laS to be prepared, which is very like
Llng lady that she is ..
cry oeautiful considering her pug nose
M freckles.
~ PS4oOAoA oppSSEouCS, MT DlCEe0k |
man OF medium height, rather round,
With heavy features, sandy hair, while
treggling mustache Of the same color,
hro~s broken shadows over q very thick
upper lip. His manners are winning,
nd he is said to be more than ordinarily I
for an Englishman He is &C
ompanied in his tour by his wife anu =
sughter, MISS Sydney, who has J
ne reputation OF being very beautiful. I
We wish them pleasant and pros I
'erous Journey and only regret that his q
even remaining daughters are not along
n give Us chance TO exhaust our ethical
electives in declaimipg their loneliness.
We only trust that when his journey is a
omplete ard he settles himself in his :
asy cnsir at his desk in his square stone :
ouse by Primrose Hill that ne will not I
match his quill from behind his ear, L
lunge 1t into liquid fire and write US up, =
his father did in days gone by. .
W. N. :,